Trump, Napoleon, and The Death of Their Cults

So many people keep complaining about comparisons of Trump to The German Guy that I thought you might appreciate comparing him with another autocrat.

As one does, I’ve been diving deep into the Napoleonic Wars lately and exploring the colossal impact Napoleon had on Europe during his reign as Emperor. From 1803 to 1815, he dominated the military, political, and economic landscape in a way unparalleled until Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany.

Napoleon was driven and brilliant, excelling on the battlefield and in politics. Rising from middle-class Corsican roots, he bent France—and much of Europe—to his will through ambition, organization, and a razor-sharp understanding of image and presentation. His military campaigns were unprecedented in scope and logistics, revolutionizing intelligence, mobility, and engineering. While earlier figures like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar had monumental conquests, nothing like Napoleon's combination of modern strategy and governance had been seen.